DomPost: Smacking law works as is

August 17, 2009

Better late than never.  The Dominion Post’s editorial this morning backs the current Child Discipline Law, and Sue Bradford’s initiative.

… The law change has affected the child-rearing practices of many other other mums and dads. They have diligently tried to learn new ways to discipline wayward youngsters, even when their patience has been stretched almost to its limit. And police report that, despite the fears of Mr McCoskrie and Mr Baldock, they were called to only a few more “child assault events” in the six months to April 4 279 compared with 258 in the previous period. Of the 279 cases, none involved a “smacking” prosecution.

As long as police keep exercising common sense and parents strive to act with restraint, the Bradford initiative has been no bad thing.